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3 more arrests in Miss. Sen. Cochran photo probe

By WTOP Staff

JEFF AMY
Associated Press

MADISON, Miss. (AP) — Investigators say a Mississippi tea party official and two other men arrested Thursday conspired with a conservative blogger to use photographs of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s ill wife to push allegations that the longtime Republican senator was involved in an inappropriate relationship with another woman.

Conservative blogger Clayton Thomas Kelly, 28 of Pearl, was arrested last week on allegations he took the photos of Rose Cochran on Easter Sunday without her permission at the nursing home where she’s lived for 13 years for dementia. Thursday’s arrests included attorney Mark Mayfield of Ridgeland, a Central Mississippi Tea Party board member who has helped raise campaign cash for Cochran’s Republican primary opponent, Chris McDaniel. Elementary school teacher Richard Sager of Laurel and John Mary of Hattiesburg also were charged.

McDaniel, who is backed by the tea party, has said he wasn’t involved in any attempt to take pictures of Rose Cochran.

“As we have said since day one, the violation of the privacy of Mrs. Cochran is out of bounds for politics and is reprehensible,” McDaniel said in a statement Thursday. “Any individuals who were involved in this crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell said any suggestion that the 76-year-old six-term senator is having an inappropriate relationship with another woman is “outrageous and offensive and the dirtiest form of politics. As we see from the arrests today, these people will stop at nothing to smear Thad Cochran, including a despicable act like the one committed against Rose Cochran.”

The Cochran family says Rose Cochran has lost the ability to speak and is receiving hospice care.

During questioning in court, Madison police investigator Vickie Currie said investigators believe the conspiracy was intended to use images of Rose Cochran to advance allegations Cochran was having an inappropriate relationship. Currie said it was Kelly’s third attempt to photograph the 72-year-old woman.

The mushrooming legal action threatened to subsume the primary challenge by McDaniel, a state senator from Ellisville. Cochran was elected to the Senate in 1978 after six years in the House. The primary is June 3.

Kelly earlier was charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and filming without permission. A conspiracy charge was added Thursday in Madison City Court.

His lawyer, Kevin Camp, could not persuade Judge Dale Danks to dismiss or downgrade the exploitation charge to a misdemeanor. Camp argued that the state needed to prove the value of the crime was more than $250 to hold Kelly on a felony charge. Currie, however, argued that Rose Cochran’s image was “priceless” and the state had probable cause to show a felony had been committed. Camp said in an interview Wednesday that Kelly obtained a visitor’s pass to the nursing home and photographed Rose Cochran through a door that was opened to a hallway.

Danks chose to send the case to a grand jury and Kelly was being held on $200,000 bond.

Mayfield, arrested by police at his law office, was charged with conspiracy and the judge gave him a bond of $250,000. Though his lawyers objected that the bond was too high, they said Mayfield would post it.

Sager was charged with evidence tampering and conspiracy and held on $500,000 bond.

Mary was charged with two counts of conspiracy involving the exploitation of a vulnerable person and the photographing or filming of a person without permission where there is an expectation of privacy. Investigators said Mary was released on his own recognizance because of health issues.

The roles of Mayfield, Sager and Mary in the conspiracy were not immediately clear. Federal Election Commission records show Mayfield contributed $500 to McDaniel’s campaign in March. Madison police refused to comment and court employees would not release documents on the charges.

The investigation into the pictures has added another set of personal attacks to a bitter race. Outside groups are running ads that say Cochran is out of touch with Mississippi and not conservative enough. Cochran supporters are criticizing McDaniel over remarks he made while hosting a talk radio show, cases he brought as a lawyer, and whether his philosophy would benefit the nation’s poorest state, which is highly dependent on federal spending.

Mayfield has been involved in local tea party politics for years. Since 2011, he has sent out tea party news releases in support of charter schools, a voter identification law, U.S. border security and gun rights.

The “Chris McDaniel for United States Senate” Facebook page includes a photo showing Mayfield was among the sponsors of an April 21 McDaniel fundraising reception at the Capital Club in downtown Jackson. Ticket prices ranged from $100 a person to $2,500 a person. The reception took place the day after the photo was taken of Rose Cochran in the nursing home.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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